Shooting nature? Know the rules in national parks

The scenery is captivating, and you have your DSLR, tripod, and lenses with you. Suddenly the park ranger approaches just as you’re about to get some photography action going. Do you know what to do? Here are some rules to consider in shooting national parks in the United States. 

Image source: LonelyPlanet.com 

When it comes to still photography, most parks don’t require a permit. One would only need a permit if the activity involves models, a set, props, and presence in a closed area, or when there is a need for it to be monitored by an agency. Simply obey the same rules as other park visitors do. 

While a tripod and large lenses are all allowed, note that actual props and sets require a permit. These include items placed or constructed on the land for photography, including microphone, lighting banks, and backdrops. Models, on the other hand, include people, animals, and inanimate objects such as food and clothing. 

How about if it’s commercial or income-generating filming? According to OutdoorPhotographer.com, the National Park Service permits commercial filming and still photography when it is consistent with the park’s mission and will not harm the resource or get in the way of the visitor experience. 

The blog noted that still photographers require a permit when the activity takes place where and when members of the public are generally not allowed; the activity (again) uses sets, props, or models; and the park would incur additional administrative costs to monitor what is going on. 

Always check directly with the park administration to confirm the need for a permit and other compliance matters. There are 59 national parks and more than 84 million acres to enjoy and shoot in their full glory. 

Image source: Frommers.com

Randall Benderson is a world traveler, photographing national parks and forests. For more photography tips, click here.

Photography essentials: Gear for wildlife photography

While you can do wildlife photography with any camera and lens, some gear makes doing so easier and more productive. If you’re trying out wildlife photography, check out this list of essential gear for wildlife/nature photography. 

Image source: wikiphotographer.net

1. Headlamp or torch 

The best wildlife photos are taken during early in the morning or late in the evening, when the light is less harsh. This means that you’ll spend most of your time in the darkness. The headlamp is more convenient especially when you need two hands to rummage in a camera bag.

2. Telephoto lens 

If you really want to take the kind of wildlife photos that you’ll likely be proud of, you need to invest in a relatively long lens since animals don’t want to be bothered by others when they’re doing their thing. At a bare minimum, get a lens in the 400mm equivalent range. 

3. Tripod 

Doing wildlife photography will require a great amount of patience. And hand holding longer lenses will only work for birds in flight. Since most wildlife photography opportunities happen when there’s no ample amount of light levels, you will be forced to use a very slow shutter speed. Combine this with the magnified shaking effect of the longer focal lens and a tripod becomes an essential item. 

Image source : ophrysphotography.co.uk

Hi there, Randall Benderson here. I’m a retired professional photographer travelling the world to capture the most beautiful national parks and forests. Visit my page to see my works.

A Natural Phenomenon: Capturing The Northern Lights

Witnessing the Northern Lights is an otherworldly experience. Of course, waiting for it to happen can be tiring, but once it unfolds in front of you, all the effort will be worth it. When I witnessed the aurora borealis in Norway, I had to take a moment to enjoy the magical view before taking out my camera to immortalize it.

Image source:Usatoday.com

But let’s get scientific here. What causes this natural phenomenon? According to studies, the lights are formed by fast-moving electric particles that emanate from the sun that collide with particles in the earth’s atmosphere. The various gases that are part of the collision cause the burst of colors.

Now that we’ve covered the cause, there are different places in the world where you can witness this light show. An adventure to Arctic territories at the right time will allow you to see the lights, especially at night. If you want to go far north, you can go to Greenland, Iceland, or Norway. But if you want to stay in North America, Alaska and the Northwestern Territories in Canada are your best bet. For the ultimate experience, visit during the fall or winter.

Image source:Space.com

If you want to take a good shot of the aurora borealis, go to a place where you can clearly see the stars. Avoid places with pollution as it might affect the quality of your photo. Since you’ll most likely be on an expedition to look at these lights, don’t forget to bring your tripod. Use a wide-angle lens so that you’ll be able to capture the whole scene.

Once you’re there, take a few moments to enjoy the view. Each light show is unique so enjoy the moment and make good memories that will inspire your next adventures.

Hello there! Thanks for reading my blog. I’m Randall Benderson, a national park explorer, traveler, and retired photographer based in Florida. Let’s talk more about travel blog.

Creating Depth With Foreground

Landscape photography is an interesting and challenging thing to do. Nature is, by itself, beautiful; but sharing what a photographer sees through images is a different story. While the human eye sees landscapes in various dimensions, cameras can only capture a flattened, watered-down version of a beautiful scenery. This is why taking foreground into consideration can produce better images.

Image source:digital-photography-school.com

What’s a foreground for? The foreground usually helps photographers capture a better view of their chosen subject without having to put so much focus on it. When taking photos, photographers must consider what is in front of the subject. Is this taking the viewer’s eye away from the subject? Is it an eyesore? Or does it reinforce the image? The foreground can help frame the subject better when put into the right context. It helps highlight the subject, as well as its environment.


The foreground usually leads the viewer’s eye to the subject with a device called “leading lines.” These lines can help the viewer focus on important details than to be distracted by other elements. A dark foreground also helps lead viewers into the scene with richer colors and tones. As long as it does not overpower the subject, foregrounds are great to include in frames.

Image source:digital-photography-school.com

Thus, a two-dimensional image can be transformed into a photo with different layers—and it’s all thanks to the foreground.

Visit this Randall Benderson blog for more photography tips.

Forest Photography: Compositional Elements to Consider

In order to take enchanting photos of a forest, one should understand what elements need to be emphasized, including:

Light
Light is probably the most important compositional element in forest photography – and the trickiest to master. Not only does light quality depend on the weather, but forest canopies can also affect lighting composition. The appropriate equipment and camera settings should, therefore, be used, depending on the subject and the condition.

Image source: ephotozine.com

Expert photographers also suggest doing forest photography during the first or last few hours of daylight. This way, the light would not be too hard, there is little chance of overexposure, and shadows can come into play.

And if the light just isn’t right, photographers can always try capturing scenes in black and white.

Depth of field
In forest photography, there is a need to express how massive the woodland is. There are many approaches to creating a depth of field in the image, such as using foreground subjects or manipulating leading lines that lead to a backdrop composed of the forestry.

Image source: davidcschultz.com

Edges and corners
It is easy to overlook the importance of edges and corners of the frame. But these should also be considered to ensure that the main subject of the image is highlighted.

I’m Randall Benderson, a retired photographer. I love that photography is the field I pursued because it has allowed me to chase after my other passion – to travel the world. Read more about my inclinations on this page.

Travel Guide: My Favorite National Parks in Asia

Asia is such a revelation. In the past months, I made it a point to visit the continent to find the best nature spots. I wasn’t disappointed! The places were a joy to photograph and the hospitable people made my stay all the more worthwhile. Without further ado, here are my favorite national parks in Asia: 

Image Source: Planetware.com

Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam 

Nature lovers shouldn’t miss out on this place. Get your hiking shoes ready because this huge national park will surely tire you out. The stunning plants, the wildlife, the birds, and the mountain peak will make you enjoy capturing images. There’s a lot going on in this National Park so you have to be ready with your cameras. 

Khao Yai National Park, Thailand 

Even if this is the only place you’ll visit in Thailand, it will be worth it. Bears, tigers, leopards, elephants, hornbills, and more—visiting this wonderful park is like going on a training to be a National Geographic photographer. This nature reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site and aside from taking photos you can also go kayaking, hiking, and caving. It’s the ultimate outdoorsy adventure. 

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan 

The snow-capped Mt. Fuji is glorious even during the sweltering summer months. But you’ll marvel at the pink-moss covered mountain especially during spring. But aside from the famous mountain, the area is also surrounded by the Five Lakes where you can go hiking or have a picnic. It’s also worth noting that there are lots of gardens in the whole park. 

I’m sure there are other wonderful parks in Asia that I haven’t seen. But when I do, I’ll be sure to update you. Where should I go next? Sri Lanka? Taiwan? I’ll keep you posted. 

Image Source: Immivietnamvisa.com

Hi there! My name is Randall Benderson and I’m a retired photographer living in Florida. Now that I’m working on my own time, I enjoy traveling the world to discover new national parks. For updates, visit this page.